Overhead track-type conveying system



' Nov. 20, 1962 R. s. ZEBARTH 3,064,584

OVERHEAD TRACK-TYPE CONVEYING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 15, 1958 &"

V INVENTOR. R040@ 5. Zebaflfi? Uite States Patent fifice 3,064,584Patented Nov. 20, 1962 3,064,584 OVERHEAD TRACK-TYPE CONVEYING SYSTEMRalph S. Zebarth, Hickman Mills, Mm, assignor, by mesne assignments, toGordon iohnson Company, Kansas City, M0,, a corporation of MissouriFiled Dec. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 780,593 Claims. (Cl. 104-93) Thisinvention relates to conveying apparatus and particularly to a trackassembly adapted to be secured to an overhead support for movablycarrying a series of hanger units depending from the track assembly,whereby articles carried by the hanger units may be subjected to variousprocessing operations.

The time required to process poultry has been materially decreased inrecent years by suspending the birds from an overhead conveyor andthereby advancing the poultry along a predetermined path through theprocessing plant where the same are successively subjected to killing,bleeding, cleaning and dressing operations while such birds aresuspended by their feet from shackles depending from the conveyor.Because of space limitations in the processing plant, the conveyornormally is of serpentine, longitudinal configuration with portionsthereof in substantially parallel and/or perpendicular relationship andinterconnected by curved end sections. Furthermore, in order to subjectthe birds to various processing machines as well as hand operations, itis necessary that the conveyor be disposed at difierent elevations alongthe longitudinal length thereof, with the hanger units carrying thepoultry shackles and suspended from the con veyor, following theconveyor regardless of the manner in which the same curves or isdisposed at various heights relative to the floor of the plant.Mechanism for maintaining the hanger units in predetermined spacedrelationship and also serving to advance the same along the conveyortrack, normally comprises a chain connected to the stems of the hangerunits below the conveyor track in a manner to move the hanger unitsforwardly as the chain is advanced by suitable drive mechanism.

However, problems have been presented in the provision of an inexpensiveconveyor track for carrying the hanger units without binding of thesame, regardless of the curvature of the track and with the poultrysuspended from the shackles secured to the hanger units, maintained inparallelism with the defined conveyor track.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the instant invention to providea novel track assembly for carrying a plurality of hanger unitsdepending therefrom and precluding binding of the hanger unitsregardless of the longitudinal curvature of the track assembly.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a trackassembly employing elements readily available on the open market,thereby lowering the cost of the assembly with the latter being of suchdurability as to have a long useful life without frequent maintenanceand easy to keep clean during continuous poultry process-v ingoperations.

It is a still further important object to provide an improved trackassembly of the character referred to above, utilizing componentspermitting rapid disassembly and assembly of the conveyor track asnecessary to change the path of the conveyor system through theprocessing plant.

Also an important aim of the invention is to provide a track assemblyfor a conveyor system wherein the major components of the assembly areformed of commercially available pipe readily attainable on the openmarket, thus permitting the strength of the track assembly to beproportioned to the load placed thereon by the simple expedient ofutilizing pipe of proper diameter and wall thickness.

Another important aim of the invention is to provide a track assembly asdescribed above, including improved means for interconnecting a pair ofpipe track members disposed in abutting, end-to-cnd relationship, withthe interconnection means being disposed to clear rollers on the hangerunits and engaging the normally uppermost surface of the track members.

Other important objects of the invention relate to the provision ofimproved bracket structure for securing curved portions of the trackmembers and lying in a horizontal plane, from an overhead support andwithout interfering with advancement of the hanger units suspended tromthe track assembly; to guide means secured to the track members at eacharcuate section thereof lying in a substantially vertical plane, forcausing the rollers on the hanger units to substantially follow a pathof travel defined by the track members, notwithstanding the fact thatthe chain interconnecting the stems of the hanger units tends to assumea straight line as the hanger units advance along such upwardly ordownwardly curved section of the track assembly; and to other importantobjects and details of construction of the present invention Which willbecome obvious or be explained more fully as the following specificationprogresses.

In the drawing:

FEGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an overhead track-type conveyingsystem embodying the novel track assembly of the present inventiontherein, an arcuate section of the track assembly of 180 curvature beingshown;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the conveyor systemshown in FIG. 1, certain components of the system being broken away andin section to reveal details of construction thereof and a verticallycurved section of the track assembly being illustrated in detail;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of another segment of the track assembly andshowing an arcuate section of the track assembly of substantiallycurvature;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the segment of the conveyor systemillustrated in FIG. 3;

' FIG. 5 is an enlarged, substantially vertical, cross-sectional viewtaken on the line 55 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded, fragmentary, perspective view of another portionof the track assembly and illustrating details of novel means forreleasably interconnecting certain of the track members disposed inabutting, end-toend relationship.

An overhead track-type conveying system designated generally by thenumeral 10 in the drawing is particularly adapted for carrying aplurality of hanger units 12 in depending relationship thereto andsuspended from a track assembly broadly designated 14 and adapted to besecured to an overhead support such as the rafters or equivalentstructure. As previously pointed out, conveying system 10 is especiallyadapted to be employed in a poultry processing plant wherein it isrequired that track assembly 14 extend along a predetermined,substantially serpentine path through the plant, with birds dependingfrom shackles (not shown) mounted in depending relationship fromrespective hanger units 12.

Each of the hanger units 12 thereby includes a substantially Y-shapedmain body having a stem 16 and a pair of legs 18 inte ral with theuppermost end of a respective stem 16 and upwardly diverging as the endsthereof remote from corresponding stems 16 are approached. Opposed,spaced rollers 20 rotatably mounted on the uppermost ends of legs 18 ofeach hanger unit 12 by bolt and nut means 22, are disposed for rotationon intersecting, angularly disposed axes. The outer, circumferentiallyextending, track engaging margin 24 of each of the rollers 20 istransversely convex, as best illustrated in FIG. 2, for reasons to bemore specifically defined hereinafter.

' Stem 16 of each hanger unit 12 terminates at its 3. lowermost end in afiat, polygonal projection 26 adapted to receive a link 28 forming apart of elongated, flexible advancing structure in the nature of anordinary chain 30. The projection 26 of each stem 16, representsdownwardly facing shoulders that limit the extent of upward movement ofthe link 28 in engagement therewith, and a substantially U-shapedretainer 32 is employed to hold respective links 28' in place on stems16 against corresponding shou'iders presented by projections 26. Boltmeans '34 releasably connects respective retainers 32 to stems 26, whileeyelets 36 swingably suspended from retainers 32 are adapted to receivethe uppermost ends of respective shackles, in turn carrying the poultryto be processed.

Track assembly 14 carying hanger units 12 in depending relationshipthereto and in horizontally spaced relationship, includes an elongatedtubular member 38, preferably of substantially circular cross-sectionand thereby constituting a length of pipe commercially avail able on theopen market of dilferent materials, diameters and wall thicknesses, soas to permit selection of a pipe of properphysical characteristics tobear the load placed thereon insafety and at a miniumum cost.

In FIG. 1,'tubular member 38 is bent longitudinally v thereofto presentan arcuate section 40 of substantially 186 curvature and integral withparallel, horizontally spaced rectilinear lengths 42 and 44. i It is tobe noted that section 40 and the portions of lengths 42 and 44 adjacentthereto lie'in a common horizontal plane and are suspended from anoverhead support (not shown) by structure'including an elongated,longitudinally arcuate web 46 weldedto the normally uppermost surface oftubular member 38 in an upright position and intermediate, opposed,outermost side extremities of section 40 of tubular member 38, wherebyrollers 20 clear web 46 during, advancement of hanger units 12.- Web 46,substantially coincidental in length with section 40, is of 'suflicientheight to cause the uppermost arcuate edge 48 thereof to be disposedabove the upper peripheries of rollers 20 when hanger units 12 aredisposed on tubular member 38, and a semi-circular plate 50 is' joinedto web 46 with the arcuate margin 52 thereof complemental with andwelded to edge 48 of web 46. Rectilinear' margin 54 of plate 58interconnects opposed extremities of web 46' in proximity to the zonesof juncture of the 7 ends ofsection 46 with integral lengths 42 and 44;

A plurality or horizontally spaced, upright tubular brackets 56 arewelded to the uppermost face of plate 50 and are adapted to be securedto the overhead support referred to above for suspending section 40 andlengths 42 and'44 of tubular member 38 in predetermined, vertical,spaced relationship to such overhead support.

It is to be preferred that an idler wheel 58 be suspended from plate 50by a vertical shaft 60 and in a position to receive chain 30 in thenormally horizontally disposed groove 62 thereof. Although chain 30 andstems. 16, are illustrated in spaced relationship to idler wheel 58 inFIG. 2 of the drawing, it is to be understood that during forwardadvancement of chain '30, hanger units 12 are swung inwardly a slightdistance about the longitudinal axis of tubular member 38 to therebycause chain 30 and stem 16 to engage idler wheel 58. This limitedmovement of stems 16 toward idler wheel 58 prevents binding of theinnermostof rollers 20 on respective legs 18 as such rollers 20 move onarcuate section 40 of tubular member 38.

The longitudinally arcuate section 64 of tubular member 38 in spacedrelationship to section 40 and constituting a segment of 90 curvature isthereby integral with rectilinear lengths 66 and 68 of tubular member38. A wall similar to web 46 described above and denominated 70 iswelded to the uppermost surface of section 64 and adjacent portionsoflengths 66 and 68-01: tubular member 38, with a horizontal plate 72being welded to the uppermost edge 74 of wall 70. Arcuate. margin 76 ofplate 72 is complemental with wall 79, while polygonal margin 78 ofplate 72 interconnects opposed extremities of margin 76 and thereby wall70. Idler wheel 88 carried beneath and by plate 72 for rotation on avertical axis is of the same diameter as idler wheel 58 and is adaptedto engage chain 38 and stems 16 of hanger units 12 in a manner asdescribed above. Tubular brackets 82 welded to the uppermost face ofplate 72 and extending upwardly therefrom are also adapted to be securedto the defined overhead support for maintaining the components carriedthereby in predetermined vertically spaced relationship to the ceilingof the building.

As previously pointed out, it is desirable that certain lengths oftubular member 38 be disposed at different elevations to thereby permitthe birds suspended from hanger units 12 to be subjected to variousprocessing operations and therefore, section 84 of tubular member 38illustrated in FIG. 2, is bent upwardly relative to rectilinear length42 and is integral at is uppermost end with a second rectilinear length86 lying in a substantially vertical plane with length 42, wherebyarcuate section 84 is substantially S-shaped in longitudinalconfiguration and lies in a common plane with lengths 42 and 86. Becauseof the tendency of chain '30 to assume a sub stantially rectilineardisposition when adjacent section 84 of tubular member 38, it isdesirable that the normally lowermost portion of tubular member 38 atsection 84 thereof be bent toward the normally upwardly facing,transversely convex surface 88. In this manner, the

normal lowermost longitudinal segment 90 of section 84 is in proximityto and complemental with upper convex portion 88 of section 84 and thelatter is of subsection 84 and adjacent portions of lengths 42 and 86'of tubular member 38 for preventing chain 30 from moving the uppermostends of stems 16 into frictional engagement with the lower surface oftubular member 38; Guide means 92 is substantially T-shaped intransverse cross-section and includes an elongated wall 94 oflongitudinal configuration complemental with that of section 84 andadjacent portions of lengths 42 and 86; The lowermost, substantiallyS-shaped edge 96 of wall 94 is welded to the uppermost surface ofsection 84 and the portion of length 42 adjacent thereto, it being notedthat wall 94 is in an upright position clearing rollers 20 of respectivehanger units 12 as thesameare advanced along tubular member 38.Elongated guide panel. 98

secured to the uppermost margin 180 of wallr94 com-Y 7 distance betweenthe upper surface of section 84 and the upper peripheries of rollers 20,whereby such rollers move away from section 84 of tubular member 38 andinto engagement with the lower face of panel 98 when chain 30 tends toassume a substantially rectilinear configuration adjacent S-shapedsection 84. Gpposed ends 7 104 and 106 of guide panel 98 are bentupwardly away from tubular member 38 in order to assure movement ofrollers 20 into the area betwen S-shaped section 84 and guide panel 98.

Although tubular member 38 could be of one-piece construction throughoutthe entire length of conveyor system 10, it is particularly contemplatedthat member 38 constitute a number of sections of pipe such as 108 and110 disposed in abutting, end-to-end relationship and interconnected bymeans broadly numerated 112. In this manner, track assembly 14 may beconstructed of a number of pipe sections available readily on the openmarket and thereby materially decreasing the overall cost of theconveying system. One of the sections of pipe such as 110 is providedwith an opening 114 in the normally uppermost surface thereof adjacent aproximal end of the other section of pipe 108, while a solid,cylindrical plug 116 is partially telescoped with in each of theabutting ends of pipe sections 108 and 110. The end of plug 116 disposedwithin pipe section 110 is provided with a tapped passage 118 alignedwith opening 114 and adapted to complementally receive the externallythreaded end 120 of interconnecting means 112. Enlarged, cylindricalsegment 122 integral with the uppermost end of end 120 and of greaterdiameter, limits movement of end 120 into passage 118 whilefrustoconical head 124, joined to the uppermost portion of segment 122,serves as means for releasably receiving a tubular bracket 126 also inturn adapted to be secured to the overhead support of the processingplant. It is to be noted that frusto-conical head 124 increases indiameter as tubular bracket 126 is approached to thereby provideclearance for rollers 20 on hanger units 12 as the same are advancedalong track assembly 14. Interconnecting means 112 thereby serves to notonly connect respective plugs 116 to pipe sections such as 110, but alsoserves as support means for suspending track assembly 14 from theoverhead structure of the plant. The ends of pipe sections 168 and 110disposed in abutting relationship are spot welded as at 128 adjacent thelower surfaces of such pipe sections, to thereby provide firminterconnection of adjacent ends of the defined pipes. By utilizing spotwelding at the lower surfaces of such abutting pipe sections, the pipesmay be readily disconnected when desired by merely grinding ofi the spotweld and furthermore, such means of interconnection does not interferewith the smooth, transversely convex surface presented by pipe sections108 and 110 and defining tubular member 38 of track assembly 14.Furthermore, plugs 116, telescoped within opposed ends of pipe sections108 and 119, maintain the same in perfect axial alignment,notwithstanding the fact that adjacent ends of pipe sections 108 and 110are interconnected only by a spot weld at the bottom surfaces of suchsections.

It is believed that the operation and advantageous features of trackassembly 14 have been adequately described above, but in furtheramplication, it is to be understood that as chain 30 is advanced bysuitable power operated mechanism, hangar units 12 are moved forwardlytherewith at the same rate of speed, causing rollers 20 to move on thesmooth, transversely convex upper surface of tubular member 38. A linecontact is thereby presented between each roller 20 and tubular member38, regardless of the longitudinal configuration of tubular member 38and thus preventing binding of any of the hanger units 12 as the sameare advanced along track assembly 14.

Furthermore, guide means 92 operates to maintain hanger units 12 andthereby the shackles depending from the same in a line substantiallyconforming to the configuration of tubular member 38, notwithstandingthe fact that chain 30 tends to assume a rectilinear line adjacentS-shaped section 84 of tubular member 38. The spacing between guidepanel 98 and the upper arcuate surface of tubular member 38 adjacentthereto which is slightly greater than the normal distance betweentubular member 38 and the upper peripheries of rollers 20, preventsjamming of such rollers between the upper arcuate surface of section 84and the lower curved surface of guide panel 98.

The novel means 112 for interconnecting abutting ends of pipe sections108 and 110 also permits quick assembly of track assembly 14 and servesto support the latter in predetermined relationship relative to theoverhead support and the floor of the plant. In addition,interconnecting means 112 provides firm joinder of abutting ends of pipesections 108 and 110, yet permits ready disassembly of tubular member 38whenever desired in order to relocate track assembly 14 or replacecertain components thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a track assembly for suspending from an overhead support aplurality of spaced, Y-shaped hanger units, each having a stem, a pairof upwardly diverging legs connected to the stem and rollers mounted onthe upper ends of said legs for rotation on intersecting, angularlydisposed axes, said stems of the units being interconnected by flexiblestructure for imparting movement to the units as said structure ismoved, said track assembly comprising an elongated member of a diameterto be received between said legs of the units and having a curvedsection and a longitudinally extending, upwardly facing, transverselyconvex surface adapted to receive said rollers in supportingrelationship to said units, the portions of said member at each end ofthe section thereof lying in vertically spaced relationship, saidsection being of lesser vertical height than that of the portions of themember adjacent opposed ends of the section to thereby clear the upperparts of the stems as the structure is moved in a direction to cause therollers to roll on said surface from one portion of the member to theother portion thereof via said section; and means connected to saidmember at said section thereof for securing the latter to said overheadsupport, said means including an elongated web of longitudinally arcuateconfiguration complemental with and secured to the upwardly facingconvex surface of said section, said web being positioned to clear saidrollers as the latter roll longitudinally of the member on said surface.

2. A track assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein is provided guidemeans connected to the central portion of said surface of the sectionfor limiting movement of the rollers in a vertical direction away fromsaid surface and thereby said stems toward the member as the units aremoved from said one portion of themember to said other portion thereofvia said section.

3. A track assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said guide means issubstantially T-shaped in crosssection and includes an elongated wall oflongitudinally arcuate configuration complemental with the curvature ofsaid section, said wall being secured to said surface of the section ina normally upright position clearing said rollers as the latter rolllongitudinally of the member on said surface, and an elongated, normallyhorizontally disposed guide panel secured to the upper margin of thewall intermediate opposed longitudinal extremities of the panel.

4. A track assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein opposed ends of saidpanel extending outwardly from respective ends of the wall are bentupwardly to guide the rollers into the area between said panel and themember as the units are advanced by said structure.

5. A track assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said member istubular in configuration, the normally lower segment of said sectionbeing bent inwardly to a position wherein the same is transverselyconvex in configuration and disposed in proximal, complementalrelationship to said convex surface thereabove to thereby decrease thevertical height of said section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS415,551 Northcutt Nov. 19, 1889 481,349 Ferris Aug. 23, 1892 (Otherreferences on following page) 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Grey Oct. 17,1899 Huntley Oct. 23, 1906 Coghlin Nov. 4, 1919 Fergusson Feb. 5, 1924Chalmer Feb. 2, 1926 Beaumont Feb. 16, 1926 Kennedy Dec. 16, 1930Francis Sept. 13, 1932 10 8 Harris- Aug. 8, 1939 Dahlberg- 2 May 16,1950 Calder Sept. 16, 1952 Hinskenet a1-- ;Apr-. 16, 1957' Weiss -Aug.11, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS France Dec. 22, 1956- Germany May 30, 1901Sweden Mar. 27, 1895-

